Rivian Executives Accused of Harassment in Lawsuits

Rivian Faces Multiple Lawsuits Alleging Workplace Harassment

This year, Rivian is contending with legal action from four employees who have filed separate lawsuits. These suits allege instances of harassment, with some claims directed towards high-level executives. A review of court documents by TechCrunch reveals concerns that company leadership was slow to respond to these issues.

Furthermore, TechCrunch has discovered that Rivian has reached settlements in an additional three cases involving allegations of harassment and discrimination.

Legal Challenges in the Automotive Sector

Litigation is not unusual within the automotive industry, especially for larger corporations managing factories and numerous locations. However, the details within these previously unreported lawsuits against Rivian, alongside those that have been settled, indicate ongoing efforts to refine the company’s internal culture.

This culture came under intense scrutiny three years ago when Rivian became a publicly traded company.

Allegations Against Jeff Hammoud

Two of the lawsuits, submitted to the Orange County Superior Court in California, focus on Rivian’s chief designer, Jeff Hammoud, who has been with the company since 2017.

Elizabeth Curran, a former director of the color, material, and finish team, filed a suit in February 2024. She accuses Hammoud of exhibiting “irrational outbursts of anger,” frequently directed towards women in leadership positions.

Nathan Facciolla, a sculptor, filed another lawsuit in October 2024. He alleges that Hammoud fostered a hostile work environment and made disparaging remarks about Facciolla’s wife, referring to her as “a hooker” due to her overnight work schedule at a hospital.

Both Curran and Facciolla assert that they reported Hammoud’s behavior to Human Resources, but no disciplinary action was taken.

Legal counsel for Hammoud has not provided a comment on these allegations.

Allegations Against Frank Klein and Other Incidents

A federal lawsuit filed last month by line worker Jeremiah Powe accuses Frank Klein, the recently departed chief operating officer, of assault and battery. Powe claims Klein physically forced him to the ground for a dress code violation.

According to a police report obtained by TechCrunch, Powe expressed to local law enforcement his belief that Rivian did not adequately investigate the alleged incident.

Attorneys representing Powe have declined to comment. Klein also declined to comment, deferring inquiries to Rivian.

In February 2024, Nicole Hawkins, a production worker at Rivian’s Normal, Illinois facility, filed a lawsuit in the Eleventh Judicial Court in McLean County, Illinois. She alleges she experienced physical harassment and threats from a coworker.

Hawkins claims that when she reported the incident to Rivian’s HR department, “nothing was done.” The case appears to be heading towards settlement, as her attorney is now requesting a dismissal.

Her attorney has declined to comment.

Rivian’s Response

Rivian has declined to address the specific claims made by each employee, citing the ongoing nature of the lawsuits.

In an emailed statement, Marina Hoffmann, Rivian’s VP of global communications, stated, “Rivian is committed to providing an outstanding workplace free of harassment, discrimination and retaliation.”

She continued, “As with any organization with thousands of employees, situations do arise that prompt us to take action. When we become aware of conduct that may violate our corporate policies or the law, we investigate thoroughly and take appropriate action.”

Previous Allegations and Concerns

These lawsuits emerge several years after Laura Schwab, Rivian’s former head of sales and marketing, raised concerns about the company’s culture through a lawsuit of her own. She alleged sexual discrimination and wrongful termination.

Schwab’s 2021 lawsuit claimed that founder and CEO RJ Scaringe had cultivated a “toxic bro culture” surrounded by a group of men, leading to the “blatant marginalization” of women.

She stated she was terminated just two days after bringing her concerns to HR.

Schwab’s lawsuit and a subsequent blog post detailing her experiences garnered significant attention leading up to Rivian’s IPO in 2021. However, she settled with the company quietly six months later and dismissed the lawsuit, as indicated by court records.

Her lawyer has declined to comment on the terms of the settlement.

Pattern of Behavior?

Oscar Ramirez, an attorney representing both Curran and Facciolla, shared with TechCrunch his belief that these new lawsuits suggest a lack of improvement following Schwab’s case.

“There seems to be a general pattern of high-ranking managers engaging in completely insane behavior and targeting employees for any number of protected activities, or because of their characteristics,” he explained.

Allegations of Hostile Conduct

Curran, formerly employed at Rivian’s Irvine, California location, asserts that Hammoud engaged with her in a highly aggressive manner during a March 2023 meeting. She describes his behavior as exhibiting “a frothing rage,” characterized by visible anger and physical tension while he reprimanded her for difficulties accessing a presentation.

Following this incident, Curran reportedly informed a Rivian Human Resources representative of her desire to discuss the matter. However, the complaint alleges that no further action was taken by HR, and she was not provided with an opportunity to formally register a complaint.

Subsequently, Curran was placed on a performance improvement plan. Her legal counsel contends that the stated reasons for this plan were unfounded. During this period, it is claimed that Hammoud commented on the extent of her smiling, a behavior noted by Curran’s lawyers as atypical among other Rivian leaders.

In September 2023, Curran was terminated after being informed that she had not demonstrated “sufficient improvements” during the aforementioned “reset plan,” as detailed in the legal filing.

This was not the initial instance of accusations against Hammoud regarding employee mistreatment.

Facciolla, who joined Rivian in 2017, alleges in his lawsuit that Hammoud routinely subjected employees to public humiliation. This reportedly fostered a detrimental work environment, prompting employees to overextend themselves due to fear of retribution.

In December 2022, employees on Facciolla’s team allegedly worked extended shifts, ranging from twelve to fourteen hours daily, for a continuous three-week period. An incident occurred where Hammoud reportedly expressed anger towards an employee who needed to attend to a sick child.

In response, the chief designer allegedly began to significantly alter Facciolla’s clay model of a Rivian vehicle, implementing changes typically reserved for the initial stages of development. Later that evening, when Facciolla mentioned needing to leave for his wife’s hospital night shift, Hammoud allegedly questioned, “Is she a hooker now?”

Facciolla subsequently reported Hammoud’s behavior to HR. While the department initially appeared receptive, the complaint states they showed little interest in resolving the situation. HR reportedly spoke with Hammoud but did not impose any disciplinary measures.

Facciolla sought therapy and took a leave of absence to recover. Upon his return, he allegedly continued to experience mistreatment from Hammoud, leading to his resignation in June 2023.

Hoffmann declined to provide specific comments regarding the allegations presented in the lawsuits. She did, however, share a statement affirming that Rivian maintains “explicit policies that address appropriate conduct in the workplace,” and that adherence to these policies is mandatory for all employees, including executives.

Allegations of Misconduct in Illinois

A series of lawsuits, previously undisclosed, have brought forth accusations of harassment against executives at Rivian. These claims center around incidents occurring at the company’s Illinois facility.

According to the filings, in November of 2022, the then-Chief Operating Officer, Klein, reportedly entered Powe’s workspace in a state of extreme anger. It is alleged that Klein criticized Powe’s attire, specifically his necklace and the Rivian-provided jacket, asserting violations of the established dress code.

The lawsuit details an alleged physical assault. Klein is accused of forcibly grabbing Powe’s jacket and attempting to pull him to the floor. Following this, Powe contends that Klein then proceeded to inappropriately touch him, specifically grabbing his crotch and repeatedly unzipping his pants. Powe asserts that multiple employees were present and witnessed these actions.

Powe immediately reported the incident to Rivian’s Human Resources department. An internal investigation was initiated, lasting approximately one month. Simultaneously, Powe filed a report with the Normal, Illinois police department in December 2022, expressing concerns that Rivian’s security measures would not adequately address the situation, as documented in the officer’s report.

The Normal Police Department has confirmed to TechCrunch that the case was ultimately closed without the filing of any criminal charges. Prior to the alleged assault on Powe, the lawsuit indicates that other Rivian employees had lodged comparable complaints against Klein with the HR department.

Following the alleged incident, Powe continued his employment with Rivian. However, in September 2023, he sustained injuries after being struck by a vehicle while at work. Powe alleges that Rivian subsequently imposed a requirement for him to clock in on the factory’s second floor, a move he describes as malicious. He was then terminated in November 2023, reportedly without justifiable cause.

Klein departed from Rivian in September 2024, accepting the position of Chief Operating Officer at Rocket Lab, a space exploration company.

Several Settlements Involving Rivian

The legal challenges faced by Rivian extend beyond the case brought forth by Schwab, as documented in court filings. Investigations by TechCrunch have revealed at least two additional harassment settlements concluded by the company since 2022.

Angela Betancourt, a member of the battery team, initiated legal action against Rivian in federal court in September 2022. She alleged experiencing “repeated unwanted sexual advances” from multiple male colleagues while working at the Illinois manufacturing plant. According to the filed complaint, Betancourt communicated her concerns to multiple HR personnel.

However, legal representatives for Betancourt asserted that the company “did not adequately address the reported unlawful harassment, nor did it rectify the underlying cultural issues that permitted it.”

An amended complaint, submitted in August 2023 with the intention of achieving class action status, stated that the prevalence of sexual harassment towards women at the facility was “widely known,” and that management lacked a genuine commitment to resolving the issue.

Following Rivian’s unsuccessful attempt to transfer the case to arbitration, a settlement was reached between the company and Betancourt in August 2024, leading to the dismissal of the lawsuit.

In October 2023, Natasha Hill, an associate in operations and manufacturing at Rivian’s factory, filed a federal lawsuit against the company. The claim stemmed from an incident where a coworker allegedly disseminated an “explicit video” of her to a wide audience of colleagues.

Hill’s lawsuit further alleges that the employee persisted in sharing the video even after she reported the incident to her superiors. Additionally, she reported a threat involving a firearm made by another employee.

Following her report to HR, Hill’s legal filing indicates she was terminated in July 2023, purportedly “related to” the investigation concerning the firearm incident. A settlement was subsequently reached between Hill and Rivian, and the lawsuit was dismissed in April 2024.